The Quiet Ones
by Chibionna
Summary: Hinata's family finally pushes her too far.


Hey everyone, firstly I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. They belong to Kishimoto-sensei. I would like to thank all of those who reviewed and those who will review or are reviewing. If you're just reading, that's cool too. Enjoy the fic. Oh and anyone who reads Spanish 'Birthday' is being translated into Spanish. I really wanna thank my own personal beta-listener. My fiancé listened to me read this fic over and over and corrected me and suggested things where he thought necessary. Thanks Babe. Anyways, like I said enjoy reading because I most defiantly enjoyed writing this.

Chibi

I slowly blink my eyes as darkness begins to infiltrate the edges of my vision. No doubt my eyes are beginning to glaze over, although one would not be able to tell because of their awkward color. My cousin, Neji, comes into my vision, hovering over me like an angel. His dark hair hangs around his face, his eyes glisten like pearls; the pure white of his kimono seems ethereal against the rays of the setting sun that pour into my room, he looks like an angel. I realize that the glistening that was in his eyes were unshed tears as warm liquid hits my face. I smile weakly as the tear rolls down the side of my cheek, turning the same red of the dried blood on my face. I try to tell him it is okay, that it had to be done, but all that escapes my mouth is a thick rasping sound. I turn my head groggily and stare at my wrist. The blood wells up from one of the deep cuts I gifted myself with and slides onto the pristine floor. I step into a car as my mind starts the ride, creeping through the roller coaster that is my life. The car stops and I turn to linger on the event that brought everything to an end.

One Hour Earlier

I sat stiffly on my bed, watching the sun's golden hair filter into my bedroom. I took in a raspy breath of air, straining to breath due to the thick, dry air that surrounded me. It was my own fault; I did not spend much time in my room enough to air it out. To anyone who looked it appeared as if no one lived in it, but why stay where you are not wanted? I stood up and started to take the slow, measured steps I was taught to while wearing a kimono instead of the easy, casual strides I make when wearing pants. I slid open the screen door that acted as a window and breathed in the fresh air I invited in. I turned and surveyed the contents of my room, which consisted of a large decorative cabinet against the wall, a bed with sterile white sheets in the corner and a side table next to the bed with a picture frame on it. The sunlight reflecting off of the frame seemed to make it wink at me, beckoning me over, so I obeyed it. I sat on the warm floor in front of the table, my father would reprimand me for being on the floor in an expensive, silk, light blue kimono, but I was not trying to make him happy. I gingerly picked up the silver picture frame, letting my eyes wash over the faces in the aged photo. The younger faces of my immediate family and myself stared back up at me. I smiled at my late Mother's gentle face, remembering her stern yet kind mannerisms. She was the one who would force me to try my hardest at everything, but would always say a kind word when I succeeded. My Mother passed on to me her small stature, hair, and face. I know this only from spending hours studying my mother's picture and myself in a mirror. No one told me of my likeness of her, no one cared to tell. I glanced at the other two people in the photo and my face took on a calm, gently angered expression. My Father and sister were much alike in both personality and appearance. Both have long brown hair and oblong faces which seem to melt into disgust when I walk into a room. Both have slightly narrowed eyes that seemed to brim over with disdain when I stray into their gazes. Both have sharp, aristocratic noses that wrinkle with scorn when my eyes meet theirs. Both have stern mouths that tighten with abhorrence when I speak. They believe I am weak, despicable, the birthmark on the beautiful woman's face.

My eyes finally rested on the last face in the picture, a younger version of myself. Eyes turned downward, cheeks dusted with pink blotches, and a petite mouth upturned in a small shy smile. I wondered if this person had changed since this picture was taken. I gave a small frown as I placed the frame back on the table. A look of determination quickly replaced my frown. I have changed from the shy, soft-spoken girl I used to be. I was not weak or despicable. I am the beautiful woman whose face is marred by the birthmark and I will overcome this birthmark.

"Hinata?" A deep baritone voice wafted over to me from the open door.

I scrambled up from the floor and whirled around to face my cousin, who was smirking. Smug jerk, he meant to startle me. I tossed a mild glare his way which he returned with a small grin. I returned the smile with one of my own; at least that smug jerk had my best interest in mind. He always looked out for me and actually treated me like family and not a pebble in one's shoe.

"Your Father sent for us." His tone soured somewhat, amusement gone at the mention of my Father.

I nodded curtly and began to walk with him to the main room.

"How are you, Hinata?" Neji asked gently, his long legs making wide, graceful strides so I had to hurry to keep up.

"Neji, you ask me that everyday and I always answer you the same, why bother asking?" My soft voice barely carried over the playing children in the courtyard, but I knew he heard me from the tiny smile that appeared on his face.

"Because it is polite." He answered in that once vanished amused tone.

"What a gentleman." I grumbled under my breath.

"That I am, cousin." He chuckled as he slid open the door and stepped back to let me go first. "That I am." He murmured, giving me that self-assured smirk again.

I gave him a side-long glare before stepping gracefully into the sparsely, yet tastefully, decorated main room. I paused briefly in surprise at seeing my sister, Hanabi, there as well. My emotions, like the branch of a tree, began to bend at the annoyance I knew was imminent. 'Why is she here?' I thought, but did not voice my question. I felt Neji beside me as I began to knell down on the floor.

"Why is Hanabi here?" He asked, ever outspoken. "I thought this situation only involved the three of us."

My father shook his head somewhat, "No. This is a family matter that determines the entire family's future."

Again, surprise flickered across my features before I quickly trained them into my normally serene expression. 'What decision must be made about the family's future that involves Neji and I?' I thought, shifting warily.

My father's gaze settled on me, his face melted into disgust, his eyes brimmed with disdain, and his nose wrinkled as though breathing in a putrid smell before he opened his mouth to speak. "As you know, we are the strongest, most influential family in this village and we want to keep it that way. Neji," He turned to face my cousin, "you are the strongest youth in our family and a fine, intelligent, and somewhat respectful young man."

Neji's eyes narrowed marginally, I don't think he liked the comment about him being somewhat respectful. If it is one thing Neji prides himself on, and he prides himself on a lot of things, it's saying things in a polite manner, no matter impolite whatever it is that pops out of his mouth is.

"Hinata," My father's eyes narrowed as I glanced up at him, his voice taking on a clipped tone. "No matter your shortcomings and obvious flaws, you are the heir of our family. Though you have failed us in succeeding to be the strongest of my daughters, you have another responsibility of continuing our family's fine lineage." He paused or was he hesitating? "This is the reason I want you two to marry. Your children will be strong and smart. You have my blessing."

My mouth went dry and my mind went temporarily blank before I snapped my head around to the teen sitting next to me. The tree branch that was my emotions began to bend some more. Did he know about this? No, it seemed he did not. His mouth hung open a little and his pale eyes were wide with shock. He seemed to get over it fairly quickly. A snarl formed on his lips as his eyes glinted dangerously.

"_That_ is what you called us here for? That is the most outrageous thing I have ever heard in my entire life! I don't care how strong and influential this family is and I don't care what you do to me, I am _not_ marrying my cousin! This family can go screw itself for all I care!"

The room filled with a stunned silence, no one had heard Neji raise his voice in years. It seemed politeness had gone out the window.

My father's face darkened with anger, "Neji, you will marry Hinata. This is not a request, it is an order."

Neji opened his mouth to speak again, but I interrupted him.

"I agree with Neji." I stated clearly, staring straight at my Father.

Again a stunned, perhaps even thicker almost palpable, silence hung in the air, only to come crashing down when my sister spoke.

"You're defying our father?" Hanabi asked, surprised.

"Yes." I answered calmly, not caring that her mouth tightened at hearing my voice.

"Hinata, you are already a failure at one of your tasks, do not fail this one too." My father said softly with disapproval apparent in his tone. "Don't you care about continuing our family's line? Are you that selfish?"

I could feel my jaw tick as anger began to rise inside of me. The leaves on the branch began to quiver as the branch bent some more. "I am not selfish." I replied in a low voice, "I gave everything I could to this family and no one cared, so no. No, I do not care for those who think nothing of me."

My father's glare intensified, boring into my very soul, but I did not look down. Finally, he made a sound suspiciously like a snort and muttered, "I should have listened to your mother."

My glare faltered at that. "W-what do you mean?" I stuttered, for the first time in three years.

He seemed to be looking down on me, "Your Mother wanted an abortion when she was pregnant with you. She sensed that you were weak. I would not listen, although I should have, and made her have you anyway. _She_ understood that our family needs strong heirs."

A cold feeling sifted through my body. My mother, who had carried in her womb, had not wanted me. My mother, who only acted and spoke kindly to me when I succeeded, had not wanted me. My mother, whom I thought loved me, never wanted me. I shivered from the coldness that had frozen my soul as I felt tears prickling at my eyelids that would not be set free.

"Humph." A cruel smirk spread across Hanabi's face, "It seems you really aren't wanted, sister." She jeered in a silky voice.

My eye began to twitch sporadically.

"Now, as I was saying, you two will marry…"

I blocked out my father's voice. All I could think about was how my Mother never wanted me and how my Father was continuing on as if he had not just told his daughter that she was basically a mistake. The tree branch began to splinter and groan as it bowed in an unnatural shape. My family never wanted me, and cared nothing about me, nor what I did as long as what I did didn't make them lose face. I glanced at my father as he continued to speak. He looked over at me and again his eyes filled with disgust. They cared nothing about me. The tree branch snapped.

My father did not see me get up; perhaps he did not even feel the pressure of my glowing palm as I broke his wind pipe. He did feel shock; I saw it in his dying eyes before he coughed up blood and slumped forward, dead.

For the third time that day, silence filled the room before an enraged shriek came from my younger sister.

"You killed my father! I'll kill you!" She screeched, charging toward me with glowing hands outstretched and aiming for my heart.

I stared at her calmly and side-stepped her attack. If it was one thing training with Neji taught me, it was to never let your emotions take over when you fight. You make many stupid, fatal mistakes when you do. I deftly spun around to face Hanabi, slipping a kunai blade into my hand from a small compartment inside my voluminous kimono sleeve.

Hanabi whirled around, surprise flitting across the face so much like my Father's.

I despised that face. I let my hand fly in a graceful arc and the blade slipped across her throat.

She feebly grasped at her bleeding throat before falling forward onto the floor.

I stared down at their bodies before stepping to the side, out of my cousin's reach. I grasped the kunai handle firmly in my hand and slammed the blunt end into Neji's unprotected stomach.

He coughed harshly as he too fell to the floor.

"You shouldn't let your emotions overtake you when you fight." I told him calmly as I pushed him harshly onto his back. My palms glowed once more as my fingers danced over some pressure points on his body. I stood, satisfied, that would leave him unable to move for some time.

I walked briskly from the room, stepping over Neji, and into the courtyard. I stood watching, watching the children play and the passing relatives wander to and fro, some giving me odd glances, others disgusted glares. My hands slid into my sleeves and pulled out two kunai blades. I dashed forward and the screams began.

Fifteen minutes passed and the screams silenced. I looked down at the blood stained blades in my hands. I cut through flesh, young and old, male and female. My blades did not discriminate as my family had. I was drenched in their blood. It covered my face and neck. It was splattered in my hair and had done irreversible damage to the beautiful kimono I wore. Their tainted blood dripped from my fingers, forming red puddles on the small knoll I stood on. It even made squelching noises as my blood painted toes wiggled in my slippery sandals.

I turned and stared at the waning sunlight that began to disappear behind the far northern wall. I am the beautiful woman whose face is marred by the birthmark. Now that the birthmark is gone, I die. I walked back to the main house, determined to go back to my room. I paused when I passed the open door of the main room. I had forgotten about Neji. I gingerly stepped into the room and knelt down beside him. "I'm sorry Neji," my voice cracked just a little, "but I have to do this. This has to end. This cycle. It has to stop." I pressed the blade to his neck; blood beginning to well up as my hand trembled. I could not do it. I could not kill my cousin. Exasperated, I threw the kunai blade onto the floor. Neji was not like the others, even though we had not gotten along when we were younger, he treated me with respect. I shook my head as I stood to go back to my room, he was not part of the birthmark.

I yanked open the door to my room and kneeled down on the floor. I took one last look at the picture on my side table and let the blood flow from my wrists.

Present

I glance up at Neji again as I feel a steady stream of his tears hit my face. Again, I smile weakly at him, instead of trying to speak; I mouth the words "Its okay" to him. This legacy of hatred and hypocrisy needed to end. I smile at Neji again. Although, it seems that it might continue. My vision is beginning to blur a little more and I pay close attention to Neji's mouth as he says that he doesn't understand. I smile again, a small secret smile as he asks why. My vision is fading with each passing second, but still I smile. I begin to ponder as my vision fades and darkness gives me a cold hug. 'You do not need to understand now, Neji. But its okay, someday you will. This had to stop, it needed to stop. If you push someone too far, eventually they lash out. No one expected me to. But you know what they say,' I think as darkness squeezes me closer and tighter, robbing me of my breath, 'it's always the quiet ones.'


End file.
